The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has affirmed Bashir Sheriff also known as Machina as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Yobe North Senatorial District.
In a unanimous judgment, the three-member Justice panel lead by Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem while delivering judgement upheld the judgment of the Damaturu Federal High Court which sacked the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and ordered the APC to forward the name of Sheriff Machina to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the authentic winner of the primary, which was held on May 28, 2022.
Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, in the judgment, further held that the exercise of 9 June which Lawan purportedly won was not monitored by INEC.
The appellate court held that the APC made a case for itself and it’s preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, but failed to make lawan a co-appellant instead of being the 2nd respondent in the suit.
Which means that the APC and Lawan are working at cross purposes in the suit while trying to achieve a goal.
The court, therefore, held that the appeal is unmeritorious as it failed in its entirety.
The court also ordered that the APC should pay 1 million naira as the cost to the 1st respondent, Bashir Sherif.
The APC had approached the appellate court seeking an order setting aside the judgment of Justice Fadima Aminu, of the Damaturu Division of the Federal High Court, insisting Ahmad Lawan is the authentic Senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Also, Read; Yobe North Ticket: Again INEC denies Lawan, says no candidate for APC
APC contended that the primary election held June 9, conducted by the National Working Committee of the APC where Lawan emerged was the authentic one.
The party held that the Senatorial primary held earlier on May 28 where Machina emerged was conducted by the Yobe State Chapter of the APC and not by its National Working Committee, hence it is invalid.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
